Nutritional assessment of raw and processed chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) protein in growing rats
1996
Nestares, T. | Lopez-Frias, M. | Barrionuevo, M. | Urbano, G.
We studied the digestive and metabolic utilization of chickpea protein (Cicer arietinum L.) from raw and processed chickpeas (dry-heated, soaked in distilled water or an acid, or a base solution, and soaked + cooked). Chemical and biological methods were used for nutritional determinations in growing rats. Food intake, calculated as a function of body weight, was higher for processed than for raw chickpeas. The digestibility of chickpea protein was not affected by soaking, but was increased after soaking + cooking. This effect may be related to reduced trypsin inhibitor activity and tannin content. Nitrogen retention (nitrogen balance) was better after soaking in basic medium without cooking and after soaking + cooking regardless of the pH of the soaking medium. However, nitrogen balance was lower than expected from the chemical analyses of the protein in the different diets. Soaking in basic medium with or without cooking led to the highest food intake, nutritive utilization of protein, and weight gain. The faster rate of growth was probably due to the improved utilization of carbohydrates in chickpeas soaked in basic medium.
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